Device for closing openings in the hulls of vessels below the water-line.



C?. S. HENSLEE DEVICE FOR ClOSfNG OPENINYGS IN THE H'ULLS 0F VSSELS BELOW THE WAER LINE,

FPLICATlON FLLE IULY 20. ISI?.

E INVENTOR I'f/f/ 43T #w25/mb.

Patented Mar. 26, 191

2 SHEETS-SHEET l A i c. s. HENSLEE. DEVICE FOR CLOSiNG UPENINGS IN THE HULLS 0F VESSELS BELOW THE WATER UWE.

APPLiCATION FILED IULY 20.19411.

n 8 0 0%, m f m! 6, w/ 2m Il@ s I mm J am w m f f a m m v. 9 2 m m w & 7. 9 l 0 6 2 E l m ATTORNEY UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

coiman's'rnwanr transmis, or Noam cnarranoooa, ra r l": ne

DEVICE FOB CLOSING OPNINGB IN THE HULLB 0F VEBSELS BELOW THE WATER-LINE- Patented Mar. 26. 1918.

Application lied July 80, 1917. i Serial lo. RLIN.

To all 'whom it may concern:

North Chattanoo i, in the county of Hamilton. and State o Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Closin Openings in the Hulls of Vessels below theV in is a specification.

his invention relates to a device which is primarily intended to be employed to prevent the sinkin of vessels whose hulls have been penetrate by torpedoes, icebergs, or dama ed by marine mines and the like, althong the construction of the device is such that it may be employed to close the opens, ings in receptacles of a different character if found desirable. The vprimary ob'ect of the invention is to rovide a device o this character which may quickly applied to the vessels hull to `close the opening therein', and is so constructed that it may be guided into position for closing such opening by the current pro duced by the water entering the vessels hull andmaintained in place upon the hull of the vessel by waterpressure.

With `these and ,other objects iii view, the

` invention resides in the novel construction `Aand arrangement of arts, which will be l hereinafter descri and particularly 4pointed out in the claims.

4ais

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, althouli no restriction is necessaril Vmade to t precise details of construction therein shown, as 0 changes, alterations, and modifications within the 4- scopeef the claims may be resorted to when desired.

Figure 1 is a' diagrammatical sectional view through the hull of a vessel and showin the late for closing the opening in the h 1 of tlhe vessel being drawn into position by the currentreduced by the water enterin the vessels i111.

2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showin the late held against the side of the vesse by water pressure. .Y

Fi 3 is a plan view partly in section of a plate to be Vin connecticn with the plate disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 in the draw- 'gig. 4 is a diagrammatical section al view through the hull of the vessel showing the atar-Line, of which the followments 19 are 8 in the drawings the plate employed plate disclosed in Fi used in connection wit in Figs. 1 and 2 in the drawings.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through aportion of the device.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6- of 5. 1g. 7 is an enlarlged detail sectional view on the line '(-7 'of ig. 8.

Fi. 8 .is a viewin ,side elevation of the modi cation of the plate shown in Figs. 1 `and 2 in the drawin Like characters osreference denote corre? spending parts throughout the several views in the drawin Referring now to the drawings in detail the letter A designates the hull of the ves sel which ,has been penetrated below the waterline and in Fig. 4 in the drawin the olpenin in the hull of the vessel is s own c osed y the device B.

The embodiment of the device includes a disk 10, constructed from any material suitable for the urpose, although- I prefer to forni the d from metal and provideA the same with a slightly concave inner face 12 and a convex outer face 13by which construction I obtain a feathered edge 14 at the riphery of the disk. In Fig. 5 'of the a the disk 10 is shown composed of a nralitv of superposed vdisk sections 15 which gradually ecrease in diameter toward the outer face of the disk.

A. compressible disk 16 of greater diam eter than the disk 10 is adapted to contact with the inner concave face of the disk, while a fiexible disk 17 of water proof material everlies the outer face of the disk 10 and extends a considerable distance beyond the periphery of the disk 16 with the disk 17 gradually decreasing in thickness from its central portion until a feathered edge 18 is attained at its periphery. Suitable securing elements 19 connect thedisks 16 and 18 with the disks 10 and also maintain the disk sections in superimposed relation. A flexible element 20 for lowering the disk 10 into the water from the side of the vessel as one terminal thereof is secured centrally of the disk 17.

A cone 21 is arranged disk 16 and is provi c flange 22 through which the securing eleassed to secure the cone on the disk 10. T e ne 21 has formed therein adjacent its base Gircul'nferentially extendcentrally upon the ed at its base with a ing row of spaced openings 23 through which a suitable securing ielement, such as a bar or the like, may be passed to act ash snpplemental fastening means for retaining the disk 10 in applied position upon the hull of the vessel.

flexible element 2l is connected at its inner end with nn eye bolt 25 on the disk l0, and with the eye bolt extending beyond the apex ot the cone. The element 2l has mounted thereon a pluralit ot' cone shaped and spaced cups 26. which gradually increase in diameter from the oui er end toward the inner end of the element 2l. The cups26 have arranged therein ears 2 with which the flexible element 24 is connected, said cups serving as means by which the current produced by the water entering the vessels hull may guide the disk 10 in position to close such opening and to be held against the hull oi' the vessel by water pressure, the openings in the cone 21coacting with the cups 26 in accomplishing this result.

I desire to have it understood that I may make the disks 10 ot' different diameters if l'onnd desirable, soA that if one of the disks 10 is not of :i size suilicient to close the opening in the hull of the vessel, several of the disks may be employed forthis purpose.

When the opening in the vessels hull has cracks radiating therefrom I employ in connection with the disk 10 a plate 28, the side edges of which are beveled and with the plate having embedded therein a rw of transversely extending and spaced reinforcing rods 29.

Cables 31 are looped through suitable openings adjacent 'the corners of the plate 28 and may be employed to pass the plate beneath the hull of the vessel and to maintain the same in place under the disk 10. The cables 31 have connected therewith grapples 32 which may be engaged with the frame work of the vessel to retain the plate in lace.

n Fig. 8 in the drawings the iexible element 24 which is connected with .the cone 21 has mounted thereon a plurality of cups 33 which, like the cups 26 gradually increase in diameter toward the disk 10 and are formed from suitable flexible water proof material.

The cups 33 are ,intended to be employed in the place of the cups 26 when the cargo of the vessel is such as to prevent the inrush of water carrying the cups within the hold of the vessel and I find from experiment with cups constructed in tl s manner that the cups will become packed by the inrnsh of Water between the cargo and the hull of the vessel and frequently close the opening'in the hull without the necessity of employing the disk 10 for this purpose.

When the hull of the vessel becomes punctured from any cause whatsoever the sailors hang the flexible element 24 over the side` of With the disk held irrnly pressed against the side of the vessel by the pressure of the water it' found advisable a securing element may bc passed through the cone 21 through the openings therein and engaged withl the hull of the vesselv to retain the disk-10 in place. If the disk 10 is not of suticient area to prevent the entrance of Water into the vessels hull the plate 28 is passed beneath the hull of the vessel to underlie the disk 10 and the cracks in the hull of the vessel which extend beyond the opening.

From the foregoing description it is atonce apparent that a device foriclosing openings in the hulls of vessels below the water line has been provided whichfthough inexpensive of manufacture islhighly eilicient for the purpose set forth.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is i 1. In a. device for closing openings below the water line in the hull of a vessel, a closure member adapted to be firmly held pressed by water pressure against the hull of a vessel to close an opening therein, a plurality of cups connected with the closure member operable under the influence of water passing through said opening to guide the closure member into position to close lthe opening, and a flexible reinforced plate to underlie said closure member and opening engageable with the vessel.

2. In a device for closing. openings below the water line in the hull of a vessel, a closure member adapted to be firmly held engaged with the hull of the vessel by water pressure to close the opening therein, a plurality of spaced cups connected to -said closure member operable under the influence of water passing through said opening to guide said closure member into position to close said opening, a flexible plate of water proof material adapted to underlie said closure member and the opening in the hull of the vessel. andv means for retaining said plate in applied position.

3. In a device for closing openings below the water line in the hull of a vessel, a 'closure member, a cone upon one side of said closure member, and guiding means connected with said cone.

t. In a device for closing openings below the water line in the hull ofa vessel, a closure member, a central apertured cone upon one side of the closure member, a flex- @lement in advance of said cone connected with said closure member, and a plurality of spaced cups on the exible ele- 5 egwater lineinthe hull of a :w-

"lelldiel a vsecond disk arranged centrally 'messengers apertured cone arran ed centvglly irthe second-mentioned a ilex- 1o extendin be vond. said cone connected with sgi v increasing in' size toward' said 15 f6. 1n a device for closing openings below water line in the hull of a vessel, a medi and a plural-'j ity of acedcups on said flexible member l tallic member having a concave inner face and e. convex outer face, a disk of comresslble material overlying the concave ace of the metallic member and extending 20 `open ended cups, ears within said cups, and

a' iiexible member threaded through said cone and cups connected with said ears.

In testimony whereof I aiix myv signature. 30

CONRAD STEWART HENSLEE. 

